PRESIDENT GRONCHI SHOULD REPRESENT

ALL ITALIANS, NOT JUST THE IMMIGRANTS

The visit to America by the president of the Italian republic has been the object of discussions and negotiations in Washington, not only at the state department but also in the Italian diplomatic and consular circles. This event could provide a new opening and raise the profile of Italy to a new level of responsibility and respectability. Will this happen or will the visit run the usual course? In a few words, the Italian president’s agenda could finally signal the visit of a representative of all Italians, not just of Italian Americans. By now, practically all Italian Americans are American citizens and they constitute a small percentage of the population. Therefore, in order to emphasize the difference between the two groups, it would be necessary for Mr. Gronchi to visit American institutions and associations. This, at least, is what leaders of other countries do on a regular basis. And this approach is desirable and possible and even necessary for Italy as well: Gronchi’s visit to the United States is the first ever by an Italian head of state. In the past, until now, the highest Italian authorities to visit have been prime ministers, not presidents. The unique role of the president’s office and its functions, which are more symbolic than political, offers an ideal opportunity to introduce the entire Italy as a whole to the American people, marking a distinction with the country that sent here millions of workers who—by now—have been absorbed into society.

Without getting into too many unpleasant details, we can say that the previous visits by Italian statesmen contained more folkloric elements than political goals. For the American public, Italy is a country that has given a significant demographic contribution of enterprising and hard-working citizens to the development of their country but that now—in the historical context of post-war developments—represents something different in terms of institutions and goals. In other words, Americans incorrectly believe that Italian American immigrants, and nothing else, constitute the fundamental ties between Italy and the United States; a belief that is confirmed by the choices made by politicians and diplomats in charge of Italian foreign affairs. But this notion is wrong and outdated, first and foremost because we live in different times. As the years go by, the old immigrants are replaced by new generations of Italian Americans who are completely Americanized and whose feelings for Italy are—at most—a residual form of affection and reverence due more to social habits than culture. It is also wrong because the two countries, the old and the new, are different places. Italian exports to the United States are targeting all Americans, not just Italian Americans. In other words, we are moving from chestnuts and olive oil to machinery and fashion. The new relationship with America is based on the taste of a rich and sophisticated international middle class, not a civilization of common foods.

Many think President Gronchi’s visit could be the best opportunity to mark a change in the official relations between the United States and Italy, moving away from the limited platform of Italian American issues to a much wider one that encompasses shared political and cultural interests. The same people also suggest that President Gronchi spend time visiting and learning about organizations such as the New York Times or the Daily News[1] (each with a circulation of 3,500,000) rather than local little Italian-language newspapers. They also think it would be worthy for the president to study the workings (since he is an academic it should not be difficult for him) of one of the many large foundations that donate huge amounts of money for the advancement of the sciences, such as the Rockefeller or Ford foundations. This seems a better way to allocate resources instead of wasting time and prestige in order to raise funds for small enterprises with limited vision. These people also believe that, in the interest of all Italians in America, the president should emphasize that the recent immigration from Italy, unlike that of the past, is characterized by individuals with technical skills and a higher level of education, with needs that are different from those of the immigrants of yore. It should not be difficult for the organizers of the president’s visit to find in the American society people suitable for a welcoming committee. From Wall Street bankers to Broadway playwrights; from film producers to museum directors in Washington and New York; from novelists enamored of Italy to the CEOs of multinational corporations with a presence in Italy; there is an endless list of names that in America have a much deeper meaning than the usual, worn-out ones. There are also serious organizations that could take care of the logistics and the meeting agenda of the president. The America-Italy Society,[2] whose president is former ambassador Ellsworth Bunker,[3] was originally created with this goal but has been excluded in favor of committees with a much narrower focus. What matters is that President Gronchi is received by America as a whole and not only by a small sect, even if his Italian heart is closer to them. The issue is political relations, not emotions.

This may be hard to swallow for those who consider themselves the irreplaceable operatives of every official visit because they have been taking care of the various ignorant and dialect-speaking ministers who routinely visit here. Isn’t it about time Italy’s representatives learn—metaphorically—to speak Italian instead of their regional dialect?

Italy today enjoys a new reputation in America. Educated Americans and their newspapers and magazines are captured by the charming image of modern Italians, elegant, refined but at the same time grounded in the ancient traditions of high quality craftsmanship. You can’t open an American periodical today without seeing Italy being mentioned in its pages. To understand this enormous change in status, one should remember what used to be published in the past. Examples are the caricatures that appeared in Harper’s Weekly[4] between 1880 and 1900. The visitors of the exhibition Four Centuries of Italian Influence in New York[5] at the Museum of the City of New York in 1955, surely noticed that Italy was represented by a stocky man with handlebar moustache, grinding the organ with a monkey on his shoulder. Today, advertisements in major newspapers and magazines show the slim figures of classy ladies or the puzzling and fantastic paintings of famous artists. In the past, to the American public, Italy meant pick-and-shovel workers. Now the name is invoked in discussions about shoes made in Florence so fine they seem chiseled by Benvenuto Cellini[6] himself. We should make it clear that we do not want to disparage millions of Italians who came here in the past and confronted the most difficult challenge a person can face, namely being transplanted from one civilization to another, without any support from the Italian government and no welcome from the American ruling class. Those who have survived deserve our respect, and, most of all among them, those who have not put up airs and become pretentious. Their names only appear in newspapers when they die and only at that point do we find out about their achievements in American life and the modest wealth they have accumulated without hurting anyone.

Some say that the monopoly on Italy’s image should not be delegated to small minorities dominated by arrogant, self-important and self-promoting individuals. The problem is two-faced. Italian Americans should not be the only ones to represent the ties between Italy and the United States. Moreover, among Italian Americans there are many valiant individuals who disdain showing off and, therefore, never appear in official ceremonies, pushed aside by the bombast of others more able at making noise with drums and trumpets. The visit by President Gronchi could sign the beginning of new relations and in this sense it takes a historic meaning. Only this president, who has already shown his independence of judgment in many other circumstances, could take this step. Will this be the time, or will he take the path of least resistance allowing the old forces and the traditional power to prevail? This is the question many are asking.

New York, January 23, 1958.